This invention relates to gaming machines such as slot machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to gaming machines having a main display for presenting primary game play aid outcome information and a secondary display, which is a video display, for displaying secondary information.
Gaming machines such as slot machines and video poker machines are becoming increasingly popular. Part of the reason for their increased popularity is the nearly endless variety of games that can be implemented on the gaming machine. Recently, xe2x80x9csecondary game eventsxe2x80x9d have been provided as a variation on some gaming machines. As used herein, xe2x80x9cprimary game informationxe2x80x9d includes, for example, information about numerous stages of game play such as (1) a xe2x80x9ccurrency inxe2x80x9d stage in which the machine awaits a coin or bill insertion to initiate a play, (2) a xe2x80x9cgame playxe2x80x9d stage in which the player has initiated a play (e.g., spinning reels on a slot machine), and (3) a xe2x80x9cgame resultxe2x80x9d stage in which a payout or no-payout event is registered. Other primary events include general gaming machine state changes such as malfunction (e.g., a tilt). As used herein xe2x80x9csecondary game informationxe2x80x9d includes information about slot tournaments, progressive games, bonusing schemes, and other incentives for maintaining a player""s interest or to play in a particular manner. In one example, a progressive game allows jackpots to be pooled over multiple slot machines. At some location, die sum of the pooled jackpot (secondary information) is displayed to players and potential players.
Each of the primary game events results in displayed information, conventionally presented to the gaming machine user via a main display (e.g., the reels display in a slot machine or the CRT in a video poker game). Some primary game information may also be displayed via light source regions that light up on the gaming machine glass when a particular primary game event occurs. The secondary information may also be displayed via such lighted regions on the gaming machine glass. Unfortunately, the potential of secondary games has been largely unrealized because the display vehicle for secondary game events (lights or sounds emanating from the gaming machine) greatly limits the attraction and sophistication of such games. Sometimes, as in the case of progressive slot games, the secondary information is presented in a large specially created display occupying significant space in a central location of the casino.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional reel-type slot machine 10. It includes a slot machine exterior housing 12 and a front face including a top glass 14, a main display 16, and a belly glass 18. Main display 16 includes windows 38, 40, and 42 each of which display a single spinning reel of the slot machine. Horizontal pay lines 44 span the windows and allow for multiple winning combinations. Top glass 14 and belly glass 18 typically contain printed information conveying various thematic or instructive details about gaming machine 10. Glasses 14 and 18 are also typically backlit so that information printed on them is readily visible to gaming machine players. In addition, separate light region 15a within main display 16 presents primary game information such as coin insert events (e.g., an 8 segment LED meter will increase its count in region 15a in response to a player inserting a coin or a bill into bill acceptor 24). Utility meters or lighted displays 46a and 46b could also be used for limited display of secondary game information. Player buttons 20 are provided between belly glass 18 and main display 16 and allow the player to control operation of gaming machine 10. A coin acceptor 22 and a bill acceptor 24 are provided near the play buttons as shown. Finally, a coin tray 28 is provided near the bottom of slot machine 10 to collect coin pay outs from winning plays.
To the extent that secondary information can be provided in a gaming machine such as slot machine 10, that information is limited to the utility meters 46a and 46b or other simple display mechanisms such as back lit symbols or other representations. Wheels and other simple mechanical indicators have also been used previously such as the configuration that is the subject of a U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 08/620,586, assigned to International Game Technology.
It should be understood that creating and applying the artwork on top glass 14 and belly glass 18 is a very resource intensive task. Workers silk screen the artwork onto the glass by a very carefully controlled process. The quality of the silk screen process must be very high to ensure that pin holes or other defects in the painted areas are not present. This is because the displays are backlit such that light shines through the glass. Any pin holes or other defects would be immediately apparent to the gaming machine player.
A given gaming machine may have its silk screened glasses replaced multiple times during its life. This is because most gaming machines installed in a casino are regularly retrofitted to provide fresh appeal to potential gaming machine players and to maintain or increase a player""s interest or desire to play a particular game. This retrofit typically involves replacing the top glass 14, belly glass 18, reel strips (on a spinning reel slot machine), and new firmware to provide an update or new game for a previously owned machine. Such retrofitting represents a significant expense to the casino. First, as explained, the new glass must be manufactured via the expensive silk screen process. Gaming machine companies must maintain graphic artists and silk screen artists on-site to generate new designs and the new glass. In fact, companies commonly find that one third of their graphic artists"" time is devoted to generating glass for retrofitting. In addition, the company must devote service personnel to install the fresh glass. Finally, and most importantly, firmware engineers must design new firmware that runs on the machine corresponding to the new reel strips and game theme.
In view of the above observations, it would be desirable to provide a gaming machine allowing the potential of secondary game events to be realized such that the machine can be easily modified with new games or features that can maintain or increase a player""s interest or desire to play a particular game. In addition, it would be desirable to reduce the costliness and inconvenience of updating thematic displays on gaming machine glass. What is needed therefore is an improved apparatus and method for controlling the content of various necessary displays in a gaming machine for both primary and secondary game events, as well as other new applications.
The present invention provides gaming machines and methods of using gaming machines in which a gaming machine includes both a main or primary display for displaying the outcome of a primary game and a secondary display for presenting primary, secondary, or even xe2x80x9ctertiary information.xe2x80x9d Tertiary information as used herein refers to information that is not directly related to the play of a primary or secondary game. Tertiary information includes, for example, billboard information, advertisements, television programming, and player attraction animations. In some cases, the video display may serve as a substitute for displaying some or all of the information currently provided on the top glass or belly glass on a conventional slot machine. Regardless of where the video display is located and how much space it occupies, it may introduce substantial flexibility in presenting primary and secondary information to actual and potential players.
Preferably, the secondary display is a video display. In the case of a slot machine, the main display may be the glass window through which the spinning reels of a game play is viewed. In a video poker gaming machine, the main display is usually a cathode ray tube (xe2x80x9cCRTxe2x80x9d) which displays the cards dealt to the player and other information directly associated with the game play. To the extent that the present invention is deployed in video poker and related video games, the secondary display refers to a separate display disposed away from the main display.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a gaming machine may be characterized as including the following features: (1) a chassis defining a gaming machine interior region and a gaming machine exterior; (2) a gaming machine controller for controlling the outcome of a primary game played on the gaming machine; (3) a main display capable of presenting the outcome of a primary game play on the gaming machine; (4) a secondary display, which is a flat panel display, provided on the gaming machine at a location disposed apart from the main display and displaying video content. Preferably, the gaming machine also includes (5) a secondary display support on which the secondary display is mounted, the secondary display support being attached to the gaming machine chassis by a hinge which allows the secondary display to be moved from (a) an operating position in which at least a portion of the gaming machine interior is blocked to (b) a maintenance position in which the portion is accessible. The secondary display may be provided at various locations on the gaming machine. For example, it may be provided in a top box portion of the gaming machine, which top box portion is located above the main display portion of the gaming machine. It may also be placed in a belly portion which is located below a main display portion of the gaming machine.
In a preferred embodiment, the secondary display support includes a casing which encloses one or more memory devices, preferably flash memory devices. These memory devices may store animation data for display on the secondary display. The memory may be PCMCIA cards and the support may include one or more slots for inserting these cardsxe2x80x94thereby updating the memory.
Often, the gaming machine will be a stepper driven slot machine with the main display comprising a set of spinning reels. The secondary display may be a flat panel cathode ray tube, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, a field emission display, a digital micromirror display, an LCD touchscreen, etc. The video content displayed on the secondary display may be, for example, a casino kiosk, television programming, primary game outcome information, player attraction material, video conferencing, casino service notification and combinations thereof. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the video content is a secondary game including a bonusing game or a bonusing component to a primary game. The bonusing component awards player with playing credits and/or increased jackpots.
Another component of many gaming machines of this invention is a gaming machine controller provided within the gaming machine and controlling the video content displayed on the video display. The same controller may also control the outcome of the primary game played on the gaming machine. To supplement the video content displayed on the secondary screen, one or more speakers may be provided for generating sound.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of using a gaming machine such as that described above. Such method may be characterized as including the following steps: (a) displaying video content to a gaming machine player on the secondary display; (b) in response to a player initiating a play on the gaming machine, presenting the results of the play on the main display of the gaming machine. The method may also include (c) moving the secondary display support from an operating position in which at least a portion of the gaining machine interior is blocked to a maintenance position in which the portion is accessible. The method may also include a step of accessing data stored on a memory device provided within the secondary display support. The accessed data so accessed may be used to display the video content on the secondary display.